


The Sorcerer's Cat

by helloyesIamtrash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Amortentia kind of, Familiar!Kuroo, Familiars, Fluff, M/M, Magic Shop, Magical Realism, Platonic Bokuroo, Potions, Sorcerer!Kenma, Sorcerers, Strangers to Lovers, bc bRO, but not enough to tag sO, everyone mentioned has a lowkey pairing, kuroo and kenma are the stereotypical black-cat-witch duo, something similar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 09:42:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7839853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloyesIamtrash/pseuds/helloyesIamtrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is, if you succeed, your last day at Ukai-Nekomata's Academy for Sorcerers. To graduate, you all know you must summon a familiar. For the ceremony, you walk up into the center of the circle and there will be an immediate pull into your own bubble. The circle will look at your personality traits and magical ability, and it will choose a familiar for you. The familiar will ask you one question that it deems important to your relationship, and you will answer as honestly as you can. If the familiar approves, then you two will be bonded, and you will graduate. If not, then you will simply stay here for another year, and keep in mind, there is no shame in that. Now, shall we get started? </p><p>The story of a prodigy Sorcerer, Kozume Kenma, and his black cat familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sorcerer's Cat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Smileyoureoncamera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smileyoureoncamera/gifts).



> @ Smileyoureoncamera hey dear this one's for you :D

Kozume Kenma was used to the whispers at this point. He had heard them all of his life. 

Whispers of ‘Oh, the little genius boy? He’s smart, but that’s about it. He doesn’t have any friends,’ from his classmates. Passing looks of pity from adults and teachers. Thinly veiled interest from some parts of the female population, not that this made him at all pleased (it didn’t, it meant more attention on him). 

Ever since he was little, Kenma figured that his relationship with his magic and studies was probably the closest thing to love that he would ever experience. His parents were supportive of his strong magic from a young age, maybe overly so. He didn’t have many friends at all, only one he made recently in the form of a fellow sorcerer named Hinata Shoyou. So, he was used to retreating into his own quiet solitude, making potions and reading old spell books. One friend and his magic was all he really needed, anyway.

Or so he thought. 

“Kenma, Kenma, aren’t you excited? I can’t believe we’re getting our familiars on the same day!” Shoyou asked, practically vibrating as he bounced on the heels of his feet. They were walking towards the grand entrance hall, their standard-issue black capes billowing behind them. Kenma gave a tiny smile to his companion, who had stars in his eyes as he spoke. Though the orange-haired boy didn’t shine so much academically, but his magical prowess was raw and full of potential. Therefore, he, Shoyou, a kind boy named Yamaguchi, and a quiet boy named Akaashi were all graduating early from Ukai-Nekomata’s Academy for Magically Gifted Boys. Everyone looked forward to their graduation, but not because they disliked the school or wanted to get into the real world. It was because to graduate, a sorcerer must summon their own familiar. The familiar is perfect for whatever line of work their sorcerer goes into, and gets along well with their sorcerer, too. Platonic relationships are very common, and while romantic relationships aren’t too common between a familiar and a sorcerer, it isn’t looked down upon. Either way, every magic student looks forward to their graduation day so that they can finally summon their familiar. 

Shoyou all but flung open the door to the grand entrance hall, a breeze billowing back to greet them with the fluttering of their stray hairs behind them. A few other third-years were there that Kenma recognized, a tall man named Asahi and a motherly figure named Sugawara. There was a cheerful man that he recalled as Oikawa and his sly friend Hanamaki, as well. Yaku-sensei was waiting for them, a soft smile on his face as a welcome, though it got interrupted by his familiar, a Russian Blue cat named Lev, jumping from Yaku’s lap as he switched from his cat form to his human form in midair. 

“Good Morning! Aren’t you all excited? I know I was when I first felt the tug from the ceremony-” Lev started, an excitable grin on his face that quickly melted into one of pain as Yaku landed a quick jab to his lower torso.

“Welcome, students, to your Familiar Ceremony,” Yaku-sensei started, shooting a long-suffering look at Lev before turning his attention to his students. “This is, if you succeed, your last day at school. I know most of you are pleased with that, but I will genuinely miss you all. You were and will always be a memorable class. Now, we will do this in alphabetical order by last name, and you all should know how the ceremony works by now, but I have to tell you all anyway. You walk up into the center of the circle-” Yaku gestured to the white, intricately detailed magic circle drawn on the floor, which was humming with power. “-and there will be an immediate pull into your own bubble. The circle will look at your personality traits and magical ability, and it will choose a familiar for you. The familiar will ask you one question that it deems important to your relationship, and you will answer as honestly as you can. If the familiar approves, then you two will be bonded, and you will graduate. If not, then you will simply stay here for another year, and keep in mind, there is no shame in that. Now, shall we get started? Akaashi Keiji!” Yaku called, and the second year stood up and made his way to the front, and as he stepped into the circle, a glowing golden light surrounded him. After a few moments, an owl with snow-white feathers covered in gray-black speckles and bright, golden eyes appeared before the boy. 

“Do you get thrown off by mood swings?” The owl asked, losing its air of mystery as it flapped its wings urgently to prevent what would have been its crash-landing. 

“Not… particularly?” Akaashi replied hesitantly, as if he was not expecting this question (which he wasn’t), but that seemed to be more than enough for the owl, as it hooted happily and shifted into a tall boy with some of the strangest hair Kenma has ever seen. 

“Hey, Hey, Hey! Akaashi! My name’s Bokuto Koutarou!” He beamed as the light in the circle died down. 

“Nice to meet you, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi said simply, and the ceremony continued. 

“Azumane Asahi!” Yaku-sensei called, and the tall boy with the bun stiffened as he walked up. He walked carefully into the circle, which began to glow a vibrant orange, and after a short amount of time, a crow with a yellow underside showed itself. 

“Will you ever hurt someone you love?” It asked, and Asahi shook his head quickly. 

“N-Not on purpose, anyway. People make mistakes, but if our bond is strong enough, then we’ll get through it together.” Asahi answered, and the crow seemed to grin as the circle grew brighter. The familiar liked his answer, and his shape morphed into a small boy with hair like lightning. 

“Nice to meet you, Asahi-san! I’m Nishinoya Yuu!” The familiar cheered, and that was that. 

This pattern continued on for a bit, people getting their own familiars. The most memorable being that Hanamaki, when called, had a frog appear, and before the frog could say anything, the boy had blurted out something Kenma thought to be unthinkable. 

“Here come dat boi.” Hanamaki grinned at the frog, who, for some reason, laughed and turned into a tall human with thick eyebrows and a sly smile similar to the pink-haired sorcerer’s own. 

“Oh shit, waddup.” The familiar had replied, and the room was practically shaking from all of the student’s laughter. 

Shoyou succeeded in getting his own, a jet black crow that had more so challenged him then asked him a question. 

“I don’t like to lose.” It had stated simply, looking down at Shoyou with a sense of superiority. Shoyou had grinned in response. 

“Neither do I, but if we’re on the same team, we’ll never lose! We’ll be invincible!” Shoyou said, stars in his eyes as the crow seemed taken aback, and reluctantly took a human form in a tall, intimidating boy named Kageyama Tobio. 

“Kozume Kenma!” Yaku-sensei shouted into the crowd, a soft smile on his face as Kenma waded through the people and into the open. In the back of his mind, he could hear Shoyou cheering for him. 

Kenma stepped into the circle, and he almost felt overwhelmed by the amount of power it had. Swirls of red, gold, and black danced around his figure, rustling his cape and hair. It almost seemed like it was analyzing his whole being, but it somehow wasn’t unpleasant. The sensation faded slightly, and a black cat appeared before him, and Kenma tsked them both in his mind for falling into the black-cat-and-the-witch stereotype. But, this cat’s eyes were calculating and golden, shining with curiosity. Kenma could see the intelligence that this familiar had, and was admittedly curious to see what kind of important question it would ask.

“Can you cook mackerel?” The cat asked, its masculine voice lilting, and Kenma fought very hard not to roll his eyes. 

“I suppose I can, yes.” Kenma replied quietly, nonchalantly. 

“Good enough for me,” The cat said with a shrug and a characteristically-cheshire grin, allowing the black swirls to engulf him, billowing out and bulging until the shape was humanoid. With that, the figure inside snapped his fingers and cleared away the dark swirls, combining with Kenma’s own red and gold until they disappeared into nothing. 

A tall man stood where the cat once was, his posture and smirking face leading Kenma to think that his familiar was laid-back, possibly lazy. His hair would be even further proof of that - it looked like his jet-black hair hadn’t seen a brush in years, if not ever. He sauntered closer to Kenma and held out a hand in greeting. 

“Kuroo Tetsurou.” The man said, and Kenma lightly took his hand - his grasp was firm, but not overly so. Kenma was almost disappointed, until he looked into Kuroo’s eyes again - they oozed calculation, curiosity, a spark of something beneath the coy grin. He was dangerous. 

“Kozume Kenma. Please take care of me.” Kenma murmured, and Kuroo grinned wider, as if Kenma introducing himself was a huge accomplishment. They stepped out of the circle and took their seats on the other side of the room next to Shoyou and Tobio, but before either of them could sit down, a voice caught Kuroo’s attention. 

“Oya oya?” A voice lilted, and Kuroo’s smile became downright devious. Kenma turned to the sound, to find that it was Akaashi’s familiar, Bokuto, who looked like a five year old who just got away with eating a cookie before dinner. Akaashi’s expression was similar to what Kenma was feeling - mildly concerned. 

“Oya Oya Oya?” Kuroo called back, as the two ran up to each other and embraced as if they were lovers who had been parted during a long war. Kenma and Akaashi shared worried glances, and it was a good thing that they got along - Kenma had a feeling that they would be seeing each other often. 

“Bro, it’s fate! We were chosen on the same day!” The owl said through over dramatic sobs. 

“Hello, Kenma. Congratulations on graduating.” Akaashi greeted politely, a small smile on his face. The two had been what others would call ‘study-buddies’, helping each other with tests and academics. 

“The same to you, Akaashi.” Kenma replied quietly, and Kuroo gasped loudly. 

“And our sorcerers know each other! Truly, bro, we’re meant to be~!” Kuroo proclaimed, and Bokuto squawked in agreement. Kenma shot a look at Akaashi, and they solemnly nodded. The ‘We will suffer together through the next few years at least, and I pity us both’ look. 

“Kenma-kun, Akaashi-kun, if you could please quiet those two.” Yaku asked loudly, glaring daggers into the two loud familiars, and the two former students nodded. Before continuing with the rest of the students, though, Yaku shot them a look of pity - he knew the feeling of having a loud, obnoxious familiar. 

It was a good day - the rest of the students got their familiars with no one staying another year. Sugawara got a black crow with brown-tipped wings named Daichi. Oikawa got a German Shepherd named Iwaizumi. Yahaba got a Golden Retriever with strange black markings named Kyoutani. Yamaguchi got a crow with piercing honey gold eyes named Tsukishima. Many others were paired as well. 

There were a lot of crows, strangely enough - usually they were pretty rare. Then again, there was an owl and a black cat this year. Owls were uncommon, as they were typically very difficult to get along with for long periods of time. Cats, though they are very common, the black cat stereotype for those who use magic is very untrue, as black cats are even more finicky when choosing a sorcerer. Birds tend to help with spells and spellcasting. Amphibians or anything related to the water were good with potions. Anything with four legs is better with either law-related or teaching others magic., though cats are generally an all-around familiar. Countless other categories existed, as well. 

“Gwah, Kenma, Kuroo is so tall!” Shoyou bounced up to the four after the ceremony ended, Kageyama following closely behind. 

“Oh? And who might shrimpy be?” Kuroo said curiously, and Kenma sighed internally. Somehow, he knew Kuroo didn’t mean for it to sound rude, but it did come out that way. He hoped that accidentally provoking others wouldn’t be a trend that would continue in the future. 

“Hinata Shoyou! And this is Kageyama Tobio!” Hinata said proudly, and after that, he and Kuroo seemed to get along just fine. 

They mingled with some other graduates for a while before leaving, bidding a farewell to Kenma’s school life. As Kenma took one last look at the building, a bittersweet taste filled his mouth before Kuroo coughed politely to get his attention. 

“So, what’s your method of transport? Moon dust, Arkadia spells…?” Kuroo asked, trailing off. With a slight sigh, the sorcerer put his hands straight out in front of him, gracefully waving them around in a complex pattern. His feet began to move in circles, the light emitting from his body tracing a small magic circle on the ground. Kuroo watched, mesmerized as the bottle blonde performed his almost-dance, suddenly stopping with his hands on invisible storage handles. Flinginging it open, a rectangle of light appeared out of nowhere, paper thin, but looked like it had a room inside of it. 

“Impressive,” Kuroo whistled lowly. “But how will a transdimensional storage unit get us back to wherever we’re going?” 

“It won’t.” Kenma answered vaguely, as he stepped back outside into the open with- 

“Seriously?” Kuroo snorted. “We’re a walking, talking stereotype.” 

“Brooms are practical and don’t use much of my energy. Plus, no traffic.” Kenma replied, holding out his broom to float in midair as he hopped on, raising an eyebrow at Kuroo, who was shifting uncomfortably. 

“Uh, this form kinda takes up a lot of energy, and I want to save some for later tonight… So where do I ride on this thing as a cat?” Kuroo asked. Kenma made a small noise of understanding and pulled out his bookbag. Kuroo looked at him incredulously. 

“I didn’t know what familiar I would get, so I couldn’t get a broom seat, and I assumed you’d be riding as a human.” Kenma shrugged, and with a groan, Kuroo walked up and hopped nonchalantly into the bag, shifting from a human to a cat in midair. With Kuroo’s head popping out of the side of his bookbag, Kenma took off, an amused look dancing on his face as he heard Kuroo’s yowling being carried away with the wind. He quieted after they were cruising in the dusky sky, the pink and purple hues muddled by the lazy clouds and the last rays of sunlight. This was really why Kenma had a broom - he loved the view. It seemed like Kuroo did too, as he was staring at the sky, too. 

“Like the view?” Kenma asked awkwardly, remembering that he should at least try to make conversation with the familiar he’ll be spending a large amount of the rest of his life with. The then remembered that Kuroo can’t talk in his cat form, and he felt like crashing into the treetops below them. A small mewl in agreement left the cat’s mouth, though, and as Kenma looked down he saw those alluring golden eyes locked on him. Blinking twice, his eyebrows twitched in confusion before he turned back to face the sky. 

“We’re here.” Kenma announced after a little while, drifting down and landing in front of a quaint little shop in the middle of a used book store and a chain grocery store. 

“Kozume’s Magical Emporium - Custom Potions, Spells, and Items. Huh. Didn’t peg you for potions.” Kuroo commented, reading out the sign outside the shop as his cat form jumped out of the bag and turned once again into a human. The sorcerer in question shrugged in lieu of answering, and that was that. 

“Give me your hand.” Kenma abruptly asked, and Kuroo immediately obliged for reasons unknown. Kenma took his hand and closed his eyes, channeling some of his essence, his very soul into the familiar. It only took a few seconds, but when Kenma opened his eyes, the look on Kuroo’s face was priceless. 

“Uh, wasn’t that kind of… Intimate?” He asked hesitantly, his face burning. 

“Did it bother you?” Kenma deadpanned. 

“Should it have?” Kuroo retorted. 

“Probably,” Kenma shrugged. “But it also acts as a key to the shop, so it’s convenient.” Kenma then guided Kuroo’s hand (which he was still holding) and waved the familiar’s palm over the door. With a click, the door opened, and a goofy grin made its way onto the taller boy’s face. 

“Cool.” Kuroo breathed, the grin still present as he walked in the door, Kenma shadowing him. 

The shop was predominantly brown, dark wooden floorboards under their feet and a lighter, reddish-brown wood made up the tall, tall shelves adorning most of the walls and creating small aisles. A small counter was tucked into the front left corner, a worn-but comfy-looking wheely chair behind the cash register. Two large windows in the front brought in beams of moonlight, and would no doubt bring the rays of the morning sun tomorrow for some beautiful natural lighting. Other light sources were present in the form of fairy lights strung up around the upper walls and little balls of a white-yellow light that acted as customer help - they lead the shopper to whatever they were looking for and pointed a beam of light at it. 

The merchandise itself was varied and nicely illuminated. Most of the shop was taken over by potions, ranging from purple potions in a glass container the size of a water bottle to a tiny vial with a reddish pink potion inside. There was a section with old scrolls and printer paper that had nonsense words or a magic circle handwritten on the surface, ready for someone to cast the spell upon it. One corner in the back, however, had random bits and trinkets from all over the world. A dried orange flower that would heal small wounds of anyone within a twenty-foot radius. A green gem that would glow whenever someone told a lie to the owner. A leather notebook that wrote the person’s true thoughts out for them as long as the book had written consent. 

As Kuroo looked around, Kenma made a beeline to the back of the shop, where he sat down on one of the two armchairs present and held out his pointer finger. On the tip, a small flame burst out, flickering brightly. 

“Light the fireplace, please.” Kenma murmured, and the little flame sputtered in agreement, hopping off the sorcerer’s finger and into the old fireplace that the two armchairs surrounded. A little coffee table sat between the two sitting spaces, and a rug beneath the furniture added to the atmosphere. 

“I like it here,” Kuroo announced as he plopped himself down onto the other chair, smiling widely at his sorcerer, who gave him a tiny smile and a head nod. ‘I’m glad,’ was the unspoken phrase that they understood. “So, where do we sleep?” 

“The apartment is upstairs,” Kenma said, unhappy that he had to get up as soon as he was getting comfy. Kuroo padded up the stairs behind him as they entered the apartment. It wasn’t anything special - there was a kitchenette and an island to eat on, light cream walls and a comfortable couch as the highlights. Kuroo hummed as he followed Kenma past the bathroom and into one room. It was a light grey-white color and looked homey. There was a white desk in one corner with papers strewn over it and some items of clothing were laying haphazardly on the floor. In the middle was a king-sized bed. “Your room is next door, but it’s not done yet.” 

“That’s fine, I can take the couch,” Kuroo said, peeking into the next room to see an empty white room. Kenma blinked at Kuroo once, twice, before nodding. Kuroo’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What? Where else would I sleep- Oh.” Kuroo stopped as his gaze fell onto the king-sized bed.

“I mean, if you’re okay with it. I sleep as a cat anyways,” Kuroo said, and the sorcerer gave a nod. “Oh! And, uh, you don’t have to make conversation with me if it makes you uncomfortable.” Kenma’s eyes shone with something Kuroo didn’t quite grasp, since there was something else there, but he mostly saw gratitude. He noticed that Kenma’s voice was a little raspy from talking so little, so Kuroo figured he must not talk a lot with others, and he seemed to be struggling to talk to him. 

“Thank you.” Kenma murmured quietly, and that was that, apparently, because instead of replying, Kuroo turned into a cat and tried to climb onto the bed. 

The next few months consisted mostly of these things: Kuroo getting used to the shop, both of the two getting pleasantly shocked with the steady flow of customers, Kuroo flirting with half of the customers that walked in (regardless of gender), and Kenma teaching the familiar basic spell and potion knowledge for any inquiries a person may have. 

But, that was just the professional side of things. 

It also consisted of half of their fridge (a human creation that Kenma found fascinating, along with a drink they called coffee. He didn’t like it at first, but after adding a few strange ‘sweeteners’, it was bearable and gave Kenma more energy than he usually had.) being filled with differently-prepared mackerel. Since the sorcerer only knew how to make grilled mackerel and the cat got bored easily, he grew fond of finding new recipes and cooking them for the bottle-blonde. It was Kenma reading on a late afternoon and Kuroo, in cat form, jumping up on the armchair with the sorcerer and Kenma absently pet his long, black fur. It was Kuroo finding the small boy curled up on his desk, a mess of papers under him at a late hour and carrying him up into their bed. Kuroo’s room was finished long ago, but both of them became accustomed to sleeping in the same bed. Occasionally, Kenma would wake up to find a very human Kuroo’s arms wrapped around his waist in slumber and find that he didn’t have the heart to wake him up, so he fell back into a peaceful sleep. He didn’t understand why, but he pushed the questions away for another time.

But, what pushed Kenma over the edge was when one morning Hinata came in with a small yellow canary tucked away in his hair. 

“Shrimpy, what’ve you got there?” Kuroo asked, resting his head on his palms as the sorcerer bounced through the door. Kenma looked up from his book just in time to see the bird chirp in fear and bury itself further into the orange mass on his friend’s head. 

“You’re scaring it.” Kenma murmured in the most reprimanding tone he could muster (which was barely), and the familiar pouted. 

“I’m not scary, am I?” He addressed the bird in Hinata’s hair, whose refusal to come out only fueled Kenma’s argument. 

“Kuro, it-” Kenma started, only to be interrupted by a rather put out Hinata. 

“She! Not it, she. This is Yachi.” Hinata intervened, a small coo in assent being heard from his hair. 

“She’s a bird, and you’re a cat. Do the math.” Kenma deadpanned, and the black-haired boy sighed. 

“You’re right, it’s nature for her to be afraid of me,” Kuroo admitted, defeat clear in his features. “Sorry about that, Yachi. I’ll go upstairs for a bit.” He said, a half-hearted smile on his face as he trudged up the stairs to give them space. 

“Sorry, Yachi. He means well, and he’s actually really nice!” Hinata apologized to the small bird, who had flown out of his hair and onto his shoulder at this point. She cooed softly in response, most likely a forgiven action. 

“What brings you here, Shoyou?” Kenma asked quietly, and with that, the orange-haired boy lit up. 

“Oh yeah! Yachi, can you turn back? It’ll be easier to explain with you human.” Hinata addressed the tiny bird, who squawked in realization, then flew off of the boy’s shoulder to land on the ground. Suddenly, yellow-gold ribbons of light swirled around her, growing larger and larger until it became humanoid in shape. Then, it burst away, leaving behind a timid-looking girl with blonde hair and big brown eyes. 

“H-Hello! I’m Yachi Hitoka! A pleasure to meet you!” She stuttered, clearly embarrassed for some reason. 

“Kozume Kenma. Can I help you?” Kenma asked softly, trying to be extra cautious with his comments as she looked rather fragile. 

“W-Well, see my sorceress? Kiyoko-san? She’s amazing, and smart, and really pretty, and I think I like her? B-But I’m not really sure, like, at all, and even if I do, I don’t know of she likes me back or if she wants that kind of relationship or-” Yachi explained, getting more anxious as she continued, only to be stopped by Hinata, who was surprisingly calm at the moment. 

“Breathe, Yachi,” Hinata soothed, and she nodded. “I told her about the Love Incense you make, think you can make some?” 

“I can, but it’ll take a day or two.” Kenma replied, thinking back to the ingredients he needed for it. It wasn’t something he made often, since most didn’t know about it, but it could work fairly well in this case. Love Incense was a potion of sorts that gave off the scents of things that person loved. Last time he made one was before he summoned Kuroo, and it smelled like apple pie, the pages of a well-worn spellbook he read constantly, and a crackling fireplace. Fear suddenly nagged at his heart, because he was in a situation similar to Yachi’s own - he wasn’t sure of his own feelings for his familiar. 

“Thanks, Kenma, see you in two days!” Hinata beamed as he left, a babbling Yachi (who said thank you at least ten times before they left) in tow. 

If he made a double batch, they didn’t need to know. 

“Are they gone, Kenma? Man, I feel bad. I didn’t even think about the predator-prey thing, she must have been freaked out,” Kuroo sighed as he came back down from upstairs, doing a once-over to make sure that Yachi was gone. “What did she request?” 

Silence from Kenma as he pretended not to hear the last question, busying himself with levitating the potion ingredients off the shelves and onto his workstation. 

“Kenma? You okay? I asked-” 

“Do you want to watch me make it?” Kenma asked in a hurried breath, refusing to look the familiar in the eye. Kuroo’s brows furrowed in confusion, but he nodded. “Get some jasmine and the forget-me-nots from the back?” 

“Yeah, sure.” Kuroo said as he complied, jogging into the back room. The sorcerer breathed a sigh of relief due to the fact that Kuroo didn’t know flower languages. He returned with a small bouquet of each, and Kenma hummed gratefully. Adding the herb-induced water to his cauldron, he began to heat it up and add more of the ingredients. Five minutes in, add six jasmine flowers. Eight minutes in, pour in half of the hoperoot powder, stir until completely blended, then add the remaining powder (Kuroo got a puff of the powder on himself, and it was hard for Kenma to hold in his snickers). After ten minutes passed, add a single forget-me-not into the mixture and stir until it’s bubbling. Finally, add a pinch of cinnamon and one four-leaf clover, and let it simmer for twenty-four hours. 

The potion was done immediately after he added the clover, but he let it simmer so that it could cool down - otherwise, it couldn’t be poured or transported into any bottles to be taken elsewhere. In any case, the stench was overwhelming, and Kenma felt numb. He still smelled the apple pie that his mom made every year for the holidays and his birthday, a comfort food that always made him happy. He still smelled the crackling fire, giving him thoughts of the late nights cuddled up with a cat, an armchair, and a book. Hell, he even had faint whiffs of the spellbook, a fond memory of his - it was what got him interested in magic. But that scent was overpowered by something new this time, and a shudder traveled down Kenma’s spine as he identified it. 

It smelled like Kuroo. Not in any particular way, like the stupid cologne he wore or the conditioner he used in vain to try and tame his eternal bedhead. It was more of a musk that he always had, soothing Kenma without even trying. The bottle blonde took a shuddery breath as he confirmed it. 

He loved Kuroo. 

“So, are you going to finally tell me what the potion is for?” He vaguely heard Kuroo ask, but it sounded like he was underwater. Forcing himself back into reality, Kenma simply stared at the light pink liquid. 

“You’ve been in the shop long enough to guess by the ingredients, haven’t you?” Kenma said quietly, and he heard the familiar suck in a quick breath. 

“Jasmine is associated with love and happiness, and Hoperoot is obviously for hope. I think that Forget-Me-Nots are true love, and the clover is for luck. So, something to do with love?” Kuroo hypothesised, and Kenma internally cursed at his earlier self for thinking the familiar didn’t know flower meanings. 

“What does it smell like to you, Kuro?” Kenma asked, forcing himself to stay monotone, just a while longer. 

“It smells like grilled mackerel-” Kenma snorted. “Hey, you should have seen that coming, c’mon. It smells like chemicals for a lab set I used to have as a kid, too - I always had fun with that. And-” He suddenly cut himself off, choking on his own spit. Kenma whipped around to face him, see if he was okay, but he was frozen in his spot when he saw Kuroo looking at him with wide, golden orbs. He knew. “Kenma, what potion is this?” Kuroo asked quietly, searching the sorcerer’s face for something. 

“Just… Answer me, please.” Kenma pleaded, his voice cracking slightly at the end. He was trembling. Kuroo took a shaky breath. 

“It smells like your shampoo.” Kuroo admitted carefully, his gaze focused solely on Kenma, whose mouth parted slightly and cheeks glowed a faint pink. 

“Apple pie,” Kenma said, his voice full of hushed awe. “It smells like Apple pie, the fireplace, and a little like an old spellbook, but it mostly smells like you.” With that, the vulnerability in the familiar’s eyes disappeared, and he smiled so wide that it almost wasn’t crooked. Almost. Just then, the potion hums, and Kenma is once again enveloped in Kuroo’s scent, but this time, it’s not from the potion. The older boy’s hands fall on him, one on his waist to bring him closer, the other threading through his dyed locks. Kenma buried his face into Kuroo’s neck giddily, unsure if this was a dream. 

“How long?” Kuroo asked softly, and Kenma shuddered as breath hit his ear. 

“I wasn’t sure until today. Probably the whole time.” Kenma murmured, and the familiar let out a weak laugh. 

“I’ve known since day one.” Kuroo whispered, and Kenma was hit with a feeling of affection and guilt. 

“Sorry.” The sorcerer mumbled, his small grip tightening around the back of Kuroo’s shirt. 

“It was worth it.” Kuroo breathed, and Kenma let out a small hum of agreement. 

“KENMA, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT TOBIO AND- Uh,” Hinata burst through the open door with stars in his eyes that slowly faded into slight mortification but mostly a knowing smile. “I’ll come back later.” 

“Tell Yachi to stop by tomorrow, it’ll be ready,” Kenma called after him at a regular tone, despite the fact that he felt like his heart could and would probably burst at any moment. Letting out a small sigh, he turned back to face his familiar with a soft, gooey smile that he finally didn’t have to hide behind his hair, only to find Kuroo staring at him like he had just witnessed a small miracle. Sue him, but the bottle blonde was going to take advantage of this moment. “Tetsurou? Is there something wrong?” Kenma asked quietly, the picture of innocence as his big gold eyes stared into Kuroo’s own. He struggled to maintain his composure as the older boy turns about three, four, five shades darker. 

“Stop being cute I don’t think I can take it,” He said faintly, before moving his hands up to hold the smaller boy’s cheeks, pulling him into a ghost of a kiss. With a small noise of discontent at the short contact, Kenma chased the pair of lips into a more proper kiss. It was sweet and innocent, completely the opposite of what the bottle blonde had expected but it was everything he had never known he wanted. They both reluctantly pulled away, maintaining their proximity. Without warning, the sorcerer’s stomach growled, and Kuroo chuckled. 

“Want me to make dinner?” He asked softly, and the smaller boy nodded, his cheeks flushed. 

“Is mackerel okay?” Kuroo questioned, only to be answered by a small, amused snort. They had mackerel every other night anyways, why would it not be okay now? The familiar moved to get up, only to feel a small hand tug at his shirt. 

“Tetsu,” Kenma mumbled. “Carry me?” The black-haired boy practically melted on the spot. RIP Kuroo Tetsurou, he has no regrets, death by the Actual Cutest Thing in the World (Kozume Kenma). 

“Sure, kitten.” Kuroo said with a gooey smile, and picked the sorcerer up bridal style. Kenma quickly curled into his chest as they traveled up the stairs. 

The night was filled with mackerel and cuddling and innocent kisses. When the two finally fell asleep in their bed, they dreamed of what the future will hold for them. 

(They didn’t care, as long as they were together.)

**Author's Note:**

> KuroKen is too good, too pure for this world  
> Also I absolutely adore headcanons for Sorcerer! Kenma that he is fascinated with human stuff like coffee and ink pens and snuggies fight me  
> Love you all! <3


End file.
